The Matriarch
by Crystal Spinning
Summary: [AU] After the death of Senju Hashirama, a new Hokage rises among ashes to carry on the will of fire, while a demon rages within her and tragedy haunts her. And so the history of Konoha is altered forever.
1. Before

**Epilogue: Before**

* * *

><p>As the moonlight poured through the enormous window at their side, a heavy breeze caressed them. It was cold, but the hand on hers was gentle. Surprisingly so. Senju Tobirama was a man of angles and sternness, of frowns and scowls and logical thought - gentleness was not a word often associated with the man beside her. But, she realized suddenly, years too late, that outside of battle or training she had never seen him be rough with another person or creature. Not with her late daughter who loved to ride his wide shoulders, not with little Tsunade - whom he had just knelt next to so she could give him a solemn kiss goodnight, wide-eyed at the battle-gear he did not wear as often as he used to - and never, ever with her. The uncommon touches that had accumulated over the years were always soft and kind. A brush on the shoulder, an occasional grasp of her hand, always skimming touches with a strong hand.<p>

Her little granddaughter, usually so averse to bedtime, was exhausted and confused, startled into silence by the loss of her mother, had easily agreed to bedtime at the wish of her uncle. Nawaki, the newest addition to their family, cuddled up against her shoulder. She'd woken him up when she'd returned, causing some fussiness, but now he curled against her, his favorite place to sleep - or so she liked to think.

Still, though, Mito's eyes remained dry. She took a deep, calm breath. She was an Uzumaki – a member of one of the noblest clans in the five great nations. She had been part of the Uzumaki clan council when she was young, and stood as Hashirama's adviser for years, before they were even married. She had been part of the building of two of the greatest shinobi villages in the world. She was a proud woman, standing tall through adversity and through good fortune.

But now her daughter and husband were dead, and all she had to show for it was a demon within her. Little Nawaki was silent at her breast, fast asleep and breathing softly, the even movement keeping her heart from dancing out of her chest. It was comforting to rest her tired head against the softness of his slowly-growing hair.

"I am sorry, Mito."

Turning her own sorrowful gaze into his eyes, she wondered why on earth _Tobirama_ of all people would apologize to her. Should it not be the opposite? She was the one who had been meant to protect their shared link - the man they both loved more than they loved themselves. "It's not your fault. Hashirama did what he knew he must. He saved the village."

"As did you. You must not blame yourself for these circumstances."

He was right. The death of Uchiha Madara was a godsend to the village, but it had come at a cost. Tobirama, for all of his gruffness and frowns, loved his brother - but he understood, perhaps better than anyone, the importance of his sacrifice. And if he knew of hers, he would also understand. But she was not yet ready to share it with him. It was between her and Hashirama - she wanted to hold it against her heart a little longer before he knew.

Tobirama's eyes were amber-red like flames, and they burned so deeply into her. She did not turn away. His hand hand, still painstakingly gentle, ran across her arm and to Nawaki's soft forehead. He was a man of deliberation - he knew what he was doing with every movement. The rare physical affection he offered was comforting - his hands were cold and rough, but the kindness and tenderness in the delicate gesture meant everything to her. Her heart ached. Her throat closed. She blinked, hard. Once, twice. Three times. Then the unnatural shine to her eyes was gone, and she was composed.

"He wanted one of us as Niidaime. But I am not suited for the position."

Mito tightened her grip on Nawaki's warm, fragile body, taking comfort in the plumpness over his tiny bones, the smell of his hair and heaviness of him against her. She had changed out of her battle gear and wore nothing but an old cotton dress, one Hashirama had told her he liked, a long time ago. He never commented on her clothes, and she had held the memory in the back of her mind for a long time. Before, she had laughed off his lack of fashion sense or materialism. Now, she wondered if he meant it that way - he loved her even when she was not adorned with all he had given her. He knew she could fend for herself. But Hokage... did he really trust her so wholly with his childhood dream? She'd watched two friends die at each other's hands, and knew she would never unsee the destruction it had wrought.

Tobirama felt tortured, watching her clutch his grandnephew to her breast. He knew himself well, his strength and weaknesses. He was a political force to be reckoned with, a named that was feared and respected. The name of Senju Tobirama had been one of honor long before the establishment of the shinobi village system.

He knew her just as well – Uzumaki Mito, the formidable princess of Uzushio, the famous sealing mistress, the master of unlocking. Very likely his best friend, now that his brother was gone. Her reputation preceded her, as his did. But she was modest, where he was not. It was not in his nature to deal with polite nothings. He would not do well as Hokage - the ceremonies and business of it all irritated him. Better he be her partner - the ceremonies that the other villages were imposing made the job unbearable. Hashirama knew this - he trusted his brother and his wife to carry on his dreams - his will - after he was dead. His throat burned, thinking of his brother, but he did not react to it, swallowing only once, decisively. Once Tobirama had decided on something, he carried it out.

The infant at her breast did not even stir as Tobirama caressed the child's head and she stared at him. She was a tall woman, but he and his brother towered over her. She did not have to crane her neck to look into his eyes as most men and women did. Her height granted her an extra elegance, an imposing grace that she used to her advantage. The title and its burden would be better with her. There was no person he trusted more with his brother's dreams.

Still, he knew the blow was difficult to deal with. Her daughter had married twice, and outlived both husbands. It did not matter now – Nawaki's birth had killed her last month, and Mito had scarcely set the child down, except to be fed. But tonight, she had. Her husband had finally defeated Madara, and she had sealed the kyuubi within herself. She could still feel it beating at her skin, boiling her blood. She probably had a fever. But she had rushed home, eager to kiss a solemn Tsunade goodnight, to hold Nawaki again, to rest and try to calm the stray pounding of her heart and throbbing in her stomach. She felt burned where the fox chakra had dribbled away and been sucked into her. Nobody would know, though. Only Hashirama and Madara, and they were both dead now. She would tell Tobirama, in time. Right now, though, the idea of the creature within her still frightened her. The destruction it had left behind was awe inspiring... and horrifying. The power just beneath a little seal on her stomach could destroy nations.

"I see..." she said, faintly. "You believe yourself to be less fit for the position."

Carefully, Tobirama watched the baby, and withdrew his hand, standing upright again, spine straighter than his sword. His nature was so different from Hashirama's boisterous, boyish, and downright charming personality. She'd often had to scold him to be gentle when Izumi was born. His energy was boundless, excitable, joyous. She had always enjoyed his bright personality, in such a contrast to her own and to Tobirama's. They needed him. Now though, there was no Hashirama to fill the silences and the brooding that were likely to commence. They were too similar, too reticent and private.

"This will break Konoha's heart." Tobirama's prediction was dark. She did not respond, so he continued, meaningfully: "And you will be there to heal it."

"Why do you not become Hokage? I think it would be more suitable. The people will not accept me as eagerly as you predict - I'm a foreigner. You would do just as well - better."

If he had been a more expressive man, he would have scoffed at the thought. "I have no desire to wear Hashirama's hat… or fill his shoes. He decided long ago that it should be one of us, and you are the obvious choice. Nepotism would not sit well with the Uchiha or the Shimura clans. You have much more public approval than I do. You were a diplomat here for years before you married him."

"You're the reason the village has been kept afloat for this long." She watched his eyes flicker downward, so like the country he was raised in. "Hashirama was the heart, but you're the brain."

"What good is a brain without a heart?" Tobirama was still dressed in his armor. He'd gone after them the moment the fighting had stopped, and rushed the pair of them back - Hashirama's barely breathing body, and she, exhausted and convulsing. "You have the same heart he did… even if you don't feel the need to wear it on your sleeve."

The conversation made her chest ache, and she was so tired. Mito felt old beyond her years. She was an Uzumaki – the vitality of her clan was legendary. She was still standing, was she not? But her daughter was dead at twenty-six, and her husband was gone. Mito was not yet sixty, and still looked two thirds that age. Tobirama was younger than she. Hashirama had been, too. "Can we make a decision about this tomorrow? It feels too sudden." But she knew it must be decided now.

Nothing could be the same anymore. Tobirama straightened his shoulders and crossed his arms. The answer was implicit in his movement. "Your squad is waiting for you." Kagami, Torifu, and Danzou.

"And yours?" Koharu, Hiruzen, Homura.

"Waiting for our word to tell the village the news. Whatever it may be."

"I will go. You should rest. It will be a long day. It has been already, I'm sure." He had been left to secure the safety of the village while she and Hashirama had drawn Madara away. It felt as though it had happened to another person. She felt the exhaustion on her body like a physical weight.

He knew her, and knew she would accept his offer. She didn't understand why he chose not to take the position, but she would take the mantle anyway. Tobirama had his reasons, and she trusted him with her life. More importantly, she trusted him with the welfare of the village, with Hashirama's will. If anyone knew her husband, it had been his brother.

"Why do _you_ not rest instead?" His question was pointed. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, the skin soft like rotten fruit.

Mito shook her head, and reluctantly set down tiny Nawaki in his crib. He was safe now. All the village would die for the beloved grandson of the Hokage - or the Shodai Hokage. Now they had to differentiate. There was more than one Hokage. "I should come with you. you shouldn't do this alone. My first act as Hokage… will to tell the village of my new position, with you as my right hand."

He merely nodded. It was not in him to gloat. He knew she would accept it because he understood her, and she understood the situation. They fell into steady, harmonious footsteps, the routine of their patterned movements painfully nostalgic. It had been not days ago that they had stepped easily together - it felt like months. Another life. She had always enjoyed their easy kinship. They were similar people – quiet and thoughtful. At first, Hashirama had been the reason they stood with one another, spoke with one another. They both acted as his trusted advisers, and had on more than one occasion, knocked sense into him. The thought brought a small smile to her lips as they left the small house they shared within what was going to be a 'tower'. Hashirama had excitedly decided that all officials needed a tower, and she and Tobirama had not been able to come up with an excuse that could deter his architectural dreams.

"Torifu, she's here - Mito-sensei!"

She turned to her left. It was still dark, her eyes straining to adjust after the well-lit indoors, and she smiled gently at the source of the voice, though her heart ached. Danzou's voice was laced with stress - he had always been eager to please, and the sight of his mentor caused an audible crack in his voice.

"What's the news?" It was Hiruzen this time, earnest but professional in his desperation. Another charming boy - Hashirama had always favored him. She knew Tobirama would never admit to having a favorite, but she saw the gleam in his eyes whenever Koharu had been particularly clever.

Mito bit her lip. It was worse saying it than hearing it. She looked imploringly at Tobirama. He did not look back at her, but she knew nothing escaped his keen sensor's eye. His steadiness meant everything to her. He would not leave her. Not now, not ever. As if drawing strength from this, she drew her shoulders back - she was a Kage.

"Senju Hashirama is dead." She heard herself say it, in unison with Tobirama's deeper voice. They said his name as if it gave them some distance from the man he truly was, the greatness that had fallen, and the pain that came with the knowledge.

All six of their students froze before them.

"I am now the Niidaime Hokage." Mito spoke purposefully, with confidence, ignoring the singed texture of her hair and her trembling hands.

But the quiet was broken by Kagami, her secret favorite, the dark-haired Uchiha boy she'd practically adopted in his youth. He clenched his hands, hugging himself, as if pretending Hashirama were there to do it himself, one last time, and bowed to her deeply, his spine as straight as Tobirama's and his nose nearly touching the earth before them.

"I swear my allegiance to you, Mito-sama-sensei!" He cried out with fervor, eyes shining, skin luminescent in the moonlight. "I'm so glad you're alive." He added this fervently, before straightening and waiting, silently and patiently, for their words.

Tobirama, who'd been in charge of the village while she and Hashirama had battled Madara, nodded, and watched their faces fall, one by one. "Alert the guards. The Niidaime Hokage has been chosen, and she will present herself tomorrow at my brother's funeral."

At the word 'funeral', Mito felt herself deflate. The second burial in her family in so short a time - she was low on chakra and exhausted and her heart ached with loss. The only sleep she'd gotten since the day before yesterday was snatches of oblivion from fighting. A funeral was not a possibility she wanted to think about when Madara had attacked, so soon after they had said goodbye to their only child.

Feeling herself stagger, she was held in place by Tobirama's impartial arm, who nodded at their worried students after glancing at her.

"It has been a long night." There was a hint of softness in his tone as he watched them. Hashirama had been like a father to all of them. They felt the loss of the Shodai Hokage more keenly than most. "The new Hokage needs rest."

Eyes shining, the six students before them disappeared quickly, sharing the news. Senju Hashirama, the god of shinobi, had fallen in battle.

x

The lonely picture of Senju Hashirama stood starkly on the white table before his casket. There was dead silence in the village. There was no rain, though Mito felt as though there should have been. Only a few lonely clouds scudded across the bright sky.

Konoha had expanded in the nearly thirty years since its founding. There were multiple clans, multiple missing-nins that Hashirama had eagerly welcomed and that she and Tobirama had less eagerly interviewed and interrogated. Other countries had followed her husband's lead and there were at least a dozen other villages on the continent. It was enough to warm her heart as she stood with Tobirama, Tsunade, and Nawaki. The infant was not in her arms - Tobirama insisted it would be undignified and had entrusted the child to Kagami, who warmly accepted the honor and stood next to her, his beloved sensei. He had worshipped her since she had found him at the edge of the Nakano, crying. Even children were not exempt from these dangerous clan politics.

The ceremony was not what Hashirama would have wished. There was no cheering, or laughter, or hearty eulogies about him. Only the bare bones, of a village in mourning and a newly minted Hokage whose knees shook beneath her heavy robes.

Tobirama had only spoken to her once that morning. He had stopped her just before they left, in the home they had shared - because Hashirama insisted his brother live with them, and she had never minded enough to object - and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You will do well today."

It was an order, a promise, and a reassurance, all at once. She was grateful for his unwavering firmness, for Kagami's emotional cheerfulness, for Tsunade's silence. Her granddaughter gripped Tobirama's hand as he stared forward, stoic and stern.

When she announced that she was to be the new Hokage, she saw the dissenters. The clan heads who exchanged glances, the frowns of the Uchiha, the befuddled Senju. Should it not be Tobirama?

But her brother stared ahead, ignoring them all. The whiteness of his hair shone attractively in the sunlight, and his eyes flickered. Then he stepped forward, minutely, the imposing gesture enough to silence the entire crowd. When he spoke, all around him paid attention - it was deliberate and icy, the sort of tone that had his enemies shaking. He managed to boom without ever raising his voice.

"She is now the fire's shadow. She will illuminate the village and bring light to a new day in Konoha."

Imperious and royal, he turned to Mito, releasing Tsunade's hand, and bowed lowly to her, dipping his back in a ninety-degree angle and resting on one knee. She only stared at him, feebly attempting to mask her shock. Senju Tobirama bowed to no man. Yet here he was, willingly dirtying his clothing before her as his eyes held hers in place, his back so straight it seemed he should be breaking his neck to look at her. But he held her gaze, his intensity mesmerizing. The most respected man in the village faced the ground before her, noble even in submission.

So fell the clans and the allied shinobi before them, to Mito's shock and Tobirama's guess. And with a rising shout, they called: "And so the will of fire lives on!"

x

As he watched Mito take Nawaki back from Kagami, the child still so impossibly small, particularly in the comforting, maternal grip of her strong shoulders and wide hands, Tobirama knew he had been right. If either of them were to be Hokage, it should be her - he was but a support, a pillar to hold up the dream his brother had held for so long. He owed his very life to it.

He had never doubted his brother's resolve. Since the day Hashirama had been willing to commit suicide rather than harm Madara or himself, Tobirama had vowed to show his brother the same sort of sacrificial love that he gave so unconditionally. And so, as his brother was burned and his ashes spread across the fertile lands of _their_ Konoha, Tobirama vowed to show the entire village just what the love of the Senju clan meant. And Senju Tobirama had never broken a promise to Konoha - and by extension, to Hashirama.


	2. Origins

The heavy knock at her door startled Uzumaki Mito from her paperwork. She looked up, straightening her back, feeling it crack as she leaned back and adjusted her hair. "Come in."

Light from the hallway filtered in as Tobirama entered, his day clothes mussed and his expression tired. The sunshine that poured through the open window seemed out of place on his dark expression. Closing the heavy door with a slight creak, he ambled forward, tiredly. He sat beside her, looking through some of the letters from her sister on a joint alliance with Kiri, and nodded.

She waited, patiently, just as she always did. Tobirama took his time in all matters. One hand was streaked with blood and dust - he'd likely punched something. Perhaps a tree, or the earth. But before her now, he was composed and quiet, though she knew something must be wrong. It had only been a month since Hashirama's death, and they were both exhausted and still grieving.

"Toka."

She arched a brow. There were very few reasons why Tobirama would bring her up in conversation, and her heart sank lowly in her chest. Tobirama and Senju Toka did not see eye-to-eye. A few years ago they had attempted a relationship that had miserably failed, and she had married another man. They had attended her small wedding - Toka, like Tobirama, was not particularly sociable - and six months later, Toka had given birth to a white-haired child. Nobody spoke of it - not even Hatake, who simply decided that the child would be his regardless. And now Tobirama often watched the small boy, even younger than Tsunade, with a gleam of regret and wonder in his eyes.

Of course, he and Toka were distant cousins. It was fully possible that the albinism that Tobirama had been born with was encoded in the genes of every Senju. But the light hair and pale skin of the child did nothing but torture the Shodai's brother, and thus he never spoke of it.

"What of her?"

"She was assigned a long-term mission to Suna... last week. She was returned today."

Mito's eyes widened at the implication, and she cast her head down at the files of mission scrolls next to her desk. "Ah... I see."

"The mission report shall be turned in by the end of the week, I presume. Hatake will handle the funeral arrangements." His voice was formal, as usual, and her heart ached for him. She could not help but ask him, though his brows drew together.

"And what of little Sakumo?"

Standing and crossing his arms, Tobirama shrugged, his silhouette large and stony against the cheerful light of mid-afternoon. "I am nothing to him. Hatake Sakumo is not my son."

Mito pursed her lips. "Not in name."

"That is all that matters. I will not interfere with matters that do not concern me."

"But you're worried about him." Her tone was soft. Tobirama had always been at a loss to deal with children. His heart was kind, but he was a man long-hardened by battle. He was not sentimental. He was not frivolous. He was not paternal.

His eyes met hers, briefly. He did not often reveal the bewilderment he felt. It had been Toka's choice, and he accepted that. His kinswoman was a highly respected kunoichi with the highest level of integrity. She was an admirable woman on multiple counts.

"I am too independent for any relationship."

Softening, Mito reached a hand up towards him, resting her fingers against the back of his knee, pressing softly for a moment. "Why don't you go see Tsuna? She's watching over Nawaki now, but she would appreciate seeing her uncle. I know she has been lonely, lately..." She sighed, clenching her pen. The girl needed more socialization with people her own age. Though she loved Team Mito and Team Tobirama, it was aging the little girl. She needed friends to play with.

He did not answer, only turned away, but he inclined his head appreciatively. "Mito?"

"Yes?"

"Your squad is missing you."

She sighed regretfully. "I know. I'm sorry to burden you with two teams."

"I don't believe they will need us much longer. They are growing stronger every day - it is admirable to watch. They are the pride of our village."

"Should we assign them squads of their own?" Mito leaned back. "I think Torifu in particular would do well as an instructor."

He gripped the handle, looking up. "Let us protect them a little bit longer."

Realizing his thoughts had drifted back to Hashirama and Toka, she nodded in agreement. "How do you think Hiruzen would do as a sensei? Tsuna is partial to him."

"There is a boy who I think she would do well to have as a squad-mate in then future."

And they had discussed this before. "Yes. I recall him. Orochimaru, correct? The boy genius? I have heard quite a few rumors about his abilities already."

"No. His name is Jiraiya. He recently lost his family to fever. Neither were shinobi. He has an exceptionally strong chakra for a boy who has never had any training. He has great potential."

She nodded. Hashirama had done his best to involve as many non-shinobi clans as possible, to create a thriving economy that would flourish even in peacetime. Even Koharu had come from a civilian family, and Mito suspected that was why Tobirama liked her so much. She had no history of shinobi, no family jutsu, nothing to reply but her own strength and skill. He'd once commented that she was clever and shrewd, and coming from Tobirama, it was a compliment of the highest caliber. He would never allow himself to show favoritism, but Mito thought it rather cute.

The day she'd met her new team leader, the legendary Hokage's brother, she'd immediately demanded extra assistance, since both Hiruzen and Homura came from shinobi clans. Tobirama was a stony man - Mito knew he took pride in his fierceness, in his dangerous reputation. But the little girl refused to back down, impudently and urgently following him around and pranking him.

"She resents you, you know." Mito had told him once, years ago. "She thinks that you never give her the time of day."

Koharu had masked her chakra, her newfound skill, and tried to hide from them, listening to them speak as they ate.

Tobirama had then smiled. A rare, soft gesture. "She's a fool if she thought I couldn't have evaded her in a moment if I'd wanted to."

And off she had slunk, pride in her heart, and with newfound confidence. Of course, a chuunin's attempt at masking chakra from the pair of them was laughable, but Tobirama was not a man of showering praises lightly.

"They're young yet. But they would all benefit from learning to teach."

He nodded in agreement. "Yes, Mito-sama."

She shook her head, smiling, but sobered up. "Tobirama?"

"Yes?"

His shoulders were tight. He had not moved from his position gripping the doorknob. It was a position that suited him - wide and angular and authoritative, strong like the oak wood that hade borne that very door. Strong like Konoha.

"I will attend the funeral with you."

He did not relax. A man like Tobirama never relaxed. But some of the utter tension eased from his shoulders. Nodding once, he replied: "I will go visit Tsuna now."

He meant to say thank you.

x

"Uncle Tobirama!" Tsunade cheered.

He placed a finger against her lips as she ran up for a hug, burrowing herself against the crook of his neck. "Nawaki must sleep."

Scrunching her face, she frowned. "Uncle Tobi, when am I going to be your student like Hiruzen-chan?"

"You will not become my student." He looked at her fondly as she scowled. "But I am going to hand-pick your teacher."

"Why can't you teach me, Uncle Tobirama?" she looked plaintive, her brown eyes so like his brother's. "Grandfather used to teach me!"

Now that was news. Tobirama frowned. Even posthumously his brother managed to surprise him with his antics. "What did Grandfather teach you?"

Tsunade grinned viciously and pumped a tiny fist cheerfully in the air. "Chakra-control! He said I'm good at it."

Scanning his great-niece carefully, he nodded. Hashirama saw potential in the girl, and he was correct. Even at her age, it was obvious. Her self-control was not well-reflected in her mischievous personality that was so like her mother and her grandfather, but the vitality that flowed through her held promise. He patted a hand on her soft blonde hair - he was not good with children. Even when he was young, he had never related well to his peers. Itama had once called him an old man. Tobirama smiled at the thought of his long-dead brother. He was the last remaining sibling of the Senju, and perhaps it was best that way.

Hashirama had believed that clan politics were bad for the village politics, and he privately agreed. Mito understood that just as well as he did - it was why she had been so willing to move to Konoha, first as a diplomat and then as Hashirama's wife. She was a woman who understood the greater good. It was why he believed her to be suited to the position of Hokage.

"I agree, Tsuna. We will get you a tutor. Do you like Hiruzen-chan?" Never would he allow anyone to hear him speak in such a childish manner. Perhaps Mito. Hashirama would have laughed for hours. Tobirama did not appreciate laughter at his expense.

"Yeah, but he gets too serious." Tsunade pouted, crossing her arms, to Tobirama's amusement. "He says to call him Sarutobi-sensei when he babysits. I like it when Kagami-chan and Homura-chan watch me better. Or Torifu-chan! He likes to bake cakes and they smell so good."

"Not Koharu-chan?" He had never admitted it to Mito or to Hashirama, but the bright, lovely young kunoichi was his favorite student. It amused him, just how close Mito and he had become to their squads. Even Hashirama, who Tobirama had warned time and time again to be a fierce figure to the villagers and to diplomats, had loved crashing the team dinners Mito planned and often roped them into babysitting Tsunade.

She frowned in distaste, her voice raising a little indignantly. "Koharu-chan told me it's a sin to play cards, but it's not! Grandfather liked to play with me!" Nawaki began to fuss, and Tobirama felt the scowl move across his face before he could stop it. _Damn_ Hashirama - he was so irresponsible. But beneath his frown, he felt a nostalgic smile. As he knelt, Tsunade tugged at his ear.

"Do you miss Grandfather? Grandmother doesn't it when I talk about him."

"Grandmother is still upset by the loss of your mother, too." Tobirama said gently, standing, with her arms wrapped securely around his neck. She swung, curling herself onto his back so he could pick up Nawaki.

The boy was tiny - the last piece of Izumi that they had left. It had been a tragedy that Tsunade's mother had died. But Mito, as always, had gracefully taken up responsibility and taken care of the boy. Now, though, with Mito as Kage, the responsibility was left to himself - and the boys, and Koharu, whenever he could get them to.

But the decision of who should be her tutor... Hashirama would've immediately chosen Hiruzen. The boy was everything he was not - scholarly, serious, gentle and driven. Hashirama, the god of shinobi, was an idealistic goofball who skirted his paperwork and had once allowed Tsunade to stowaway on a trip to Kumo - without bothering to inform either Izumi or Mito.

He sighed. The thoughts of children brought him back to Toka. He did not want her, and she deserved someone who desired a relationship with her. Tobirama, after years of enduring his brother's jibing, had simply asked Toka, who agreed. She was had been the ideal candidate, really - silent, strong, and attractive. After the incident, however, he had decided that he was truly disinterested in such matters and informed her of such. She had agreed, and they had gone their separate ways, united as only members of the same clan. But her hasty marriage and early son - he wondered. Mostly, he suspected.

Nestling Nawaki's small head into his armpit, he smiled. Tsunade grinned. "Uncle Tobi, no! Look what he can do!"

She quickly climbed down and took the child from his arms, holding him upright. Tobirama was startled, but Tsunade stuck out her tongue - which for some reason, he noted with amusement, was purple.

"He can hold up his head now! Not for too long. Look at how smart and strong he is!"

She glowed with pride, and set him back in Tobirama's arms. He was stunned at how deft her hands were. She should still only be a child. Her hair was tied back in pig-tails that Mito gave her each morning. Even though she had been sheltered from the worst of times, raised in a safe village with those who loved her, she still was aging far too quickly.

He comforted himself by reminding himself of Kawarama. The boy had been just older than Tsuna when he died, and that was a fate she did not need to meet. And as she grinned and made faces at Nawaki, he wondered if that was why he did not want to train her. Youth was precious. Even though she did not need to worry about killing, death still followed her. Opening his free arm, she climbed upon him, kissing his cheek brightly.

"Uncle Tobirama, I love you." She said, and he felt himself relax. This was what the village was for. This is what they were protecting.

"I love you back, Tsuna." His voice was soft, but he whispered it to her with a fierceness that reflected the power of what he felt for her.

Tobirama was not good with children, but he would die for his family.

x

"We know Hashirama would have chosen Hiruzen."

Mito folded her hands and nodded. "Indeed. And we both have our favorites."

He leveled her with a gaze that told her he thought he was hiding it well. She shook her head.

"So I suppose Kagami is your vote?"

She shook his head with deliberation. "Hiruzen would not be the best fit for Tsunade. She needs someone who will embrace her childhood. Perhaps in a few years he could be a squad leader for her... but as a private tutor, she would resent him."

He nodded in agreement. "Torifu would be too soft on her. So would Homura."

"Danzou would also be too intense for her. He is quick to temper. She needs someone more patient."

He smiled. "So Uchiha?"

"Or Koharu."

He nodded thoughtfully. "She is too humble. Kagami is more playful than she."

"I agree."

"His style is very clan-oriented, however."

She pursed her lips. "Very true. But all she needs from him is the foundations. Then we can hand her over to Hiruzen and create a squad."

Drinking a sip and moving a piece across the shougi board in front of them, he nodded.

"We must prepare her for war."

Tobirama's heart sank and he swallowed the tea he had been savoring. He liked it milky, creamy, but without sugar. "Already?"

Mito's eyes were heavy with stress, her lashes dark against the shadows that grew in the room. "We have been attempting peace negotiations with Kiri, as you know. But it seems that Kiri and Suna are going to attack us while we are unguarded."

Crossing his arms, he scowled. "Konoha will never be unguarded."

"Hashirama is dead. They believe us weak. This is exactly as I had feared." She admitted it to him freely. Their friendship, strong from years of closeness, had been wound tighter over the past month. "You are my closest confidante and friend."

Touched by the admission, he reached over the board to rest his hand on hers for a moment. Before, Hashirama had been the bridge that held them, but now that bridge was gone and they stood together, closer than ever.

x

Tsunade stood suspiciously before Kagami. "Why are we all the way out here, Kagami-chan?"

The older boy grinned at her, eyes red and sparkling. "Call me Kagami-sensei when we are out here, okay, Tsuna?"

She scowled, and looked down at her shoes. "These aren't comfy."

"They make it hard to run in, so your legs get stronger, faster." He explained, kneeling down and adjusting the straps. He tightened the hairbands that were slipping from her thin, soft hair, still fine and soft like a child's.

"So the goal of today's exercise..." he turned around dramatically, and waved a large bento in the air. "Is to win your lunch!"

She scowled. "But I'm hungry now!"

Kagami grinned and stood, waving it temptingly. "Torifu made it... and if you can't grab it, you don't get any!"

She set her arms across her chest in a gesture eerily similar to her great uncle, before charging. "Chya!" She shrieked, barreling after him as fast as her little legs could carry her. "I'll get you!"

He leapt away, laughing, and she determinedly rushed him head on, chasing him through trees and shrubs for nearly an hour, until she collapsed, in tears.

"Kagami-sensei!" She sobbed. "You're too mean! I'm hungry and my legs hurt!"

Leaping out of his hiding spot, he bent down and untied the box. "I am not, Tsuna." He patted her head, wiping a little spot of blood off her cheek from when she'd fallen in brambles. "But I see your technique now. You like to face things head on, huh?"

She nodded, sniffing, and began to eat, ravenously. Her clothes were dirty, and Tobirama-sensei would probably give him one of his terrifying looks, but Kagami had a plan for Tsunade.

"So we're gonna make you super strong. How about that? Then you can beat up anyone, anytime. Uncle Tobirama says you have good chakra control, right?"

The food Torifu had made settled in her stomach, and she stopped crying. Tenderly, he fixed her hair back into her two little ponytails and sat back. She nodded, skin still flushed and sweaty, and answered: "Grandfather said so too."

"Well that's good. You need perfect chakra control for the technique I want you to learn."

Brown eyes rounded out, and she wiped her face and nose with her sleeve. "What?"

"I told you. We're gonna make you strong enough to punch down Uncle Tobirama." He winked at her conspiratorially.

She thought about it and shook her head. "Not possible, Kagami-chan. Sensei." She corrected herself hastily.

His eyes dark again, he shook the little bit of sweat from his curls. "I'd say it's possible. I bet you a whole new bento box that it is."

Considering it, Tsunade shook her head again, eyeing him shrewdly. "You're gonna need to sweeten the pot for that, sensei."

Spluttering into laughter, Kagami fell backwards onto the grass. "I knew Hashirama-sama was teaching you to gamble!" He accused, and she blushed a little. "But it's moot now." Suddenly serious, Kagami let her finish the box by herself and picked her up. She settled tiredly in his arms, the same as she had when she was just an infant, a toddler.

War was coming, and Tsunade needed to be strong enough to protect herself, and even her brother.

_"Kagami." The Hokage had summoned him to her office just the day before._

_He bowed deeply to the woman he considered more mother than anything else. "Mito-sama-sensei..."_

_She smiled fondly at him. "Kagami. Address me as Mito-sensei. There is no need for formalities between myself and my team."_

_He had straightened. "What did you need?"_

_She had quieted for a moment, the dulling red of her hair the only sign that she was not as young as she had once been. Crinkling her eyes in a smile, she asked him: "Would you train Tsunade?"_

_Stunned, he stepped back. "Me? Mito-sensei, do you not think that Hiruzen, or Danzou, or-"_

_"Kagami." She interrupted him kindly. "I am choosing you not as a Kage, but as a grandmother. You are the one I trust to protect Tsunade."_

_"It's happening, isn't it?" He asked her quietly, clenching his fist. "The peace negotiations are falling apart."_

_Leaning back in the chair that had once been her husband's, Uzumaki Mito nodded tiredly. "It has been a long time in coming. And Kiri is enlisting Suna, and Kumo has a grudge against us because of our trade relations turning rocky."_

_"We have allies, right?" He asked her desperately._

_"We will always have Uzushio. And Iwagakure doesn't need an excuse to battle with Kumo. They've never had particularly peaceful relations. The enemy of our enemy is our ally."_

_Uchiha Kagami was a young man. He had been born as the village was beginning to prosper, into an affluent clan. The wife of the first Hokage had taken him on as a student from a young age. He had never felt fear, never had to worry about such abstract things like war. But now, he trembled. "War is coming..." he whispered. And his first thought: "What of the children?"_

_Leaning back, Mito sighed. "That is what Tobirama and I fear the most. So I ask you to train Tsunade - even just in the foundations of shinobi technique. She needs to be able to protect herself. She will be one of the first targets."_

_Swallowing hard, Kagami nodded, and bowed lowly. "I will take care of her as if she were my own." The words were passionate and uttered shakily. He would die for the little girl who so cheerfully adored Mito the same way he always had._

_"Silly boy," Mito's eyes were warm, just like they always were when she looked at him. Just like the day he'd met her. "We are all family."_


End file.
